The present invention relates to a portable device for coupling a hearing aid to a telephone and in particular to such a device capable of simultaneously providing a wireless signal to a user""s hearing aid while providing an audio signal to the user via a telephone handset.
Traditionally, telephone users suffering from a hearing deficiency were required to rely upon telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) products or inadequate audio amplification products while conversing via a telephone. The TDD products merely provided a typed transcript of the present telephone conversation to the hearing-deficient user on a terminal at the user""s location. Thus, these TDD devices did not solve the problem of a hearing-deficient user trying to have a normal conversation via a telephone. Similarly, the audio amplification products available in the past would simply not provide sufficient audio amplification and clarity for the users to properly hear the audio signals emitted by the telephone handset. Thus, these audio amplification products were also unable to provide normal telephone operation to hearing-deficient users.
A further advancement in telephone audio enhancement devices for hearing impaired users utilizes inductive coupling techniques. These inductive coupling techniques transmit signals from a telephone or a coupling device to a user""s hearing aid via electromagnetic fields.
Most hearing aids include, or may be retrofitted with, T-coils (telephone coils), internal pickup coils capable of receiving the electromagnetic signals. These T-coils are intended to pick up the electromagnetic field present in the immediate vicinity of the receiver, or speaker, in a standard telephone headset. A switch on the hearing aid allows the user to select the T-coil position, which also shuts off the hearing aid""s microphone. The hearing aid""s internal circuit amplifies the current induced in the T-coils. The hearing aid user then hears the sounds through the hearing aid itself. This eliminates the background noise normally present when hearing aid users are using the telephone.
The quality and volume of sound from the telephone when using T-coil equipped hearing aids is often less than adequate. This is particularly true for people with moderate to severe hearing loss. Poor coupling between the T-coil and an often-weak electromagnetic field are the primary causes of the inadequate performance.
Prior art discloses devices utilizing available induction and hearing aid techniques to allow hearing impaired persons to use telephones. These previous attempts to provide coupling between a telephone and a hearing aid have relied on a direct connection of a small induction coil to the telephone without amplification. The user must place this coil between the head and the ear in close proximity to the hearing aid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,464 to Groppe discloses a telephone headset for the hearing impaired. The headset includes a left and a right earpiece/speaker, a microphone or magnetic induction pickup input device and an amplifier connected between the input device and the speakers. The headset also includes independent volume and tone controls for the left and right earpieces/speakers. In operation, a user places the telephone receiver against the microphone or magnetic induction pickup input. The headset receives the signal and provides and audio signal to both of the user""s ears.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,821 to Crouch et al. discloses a hearing aid telephone interconnect system which enables hearing aid users to use conventional telephone equipment. The system includes an adapter box connected between a telephone base unit and a telephone receiver. The system also includes a T-coupler connected to the adapter box. The adapter box includes a selector switch which enables a user to choose between using the telephone receiver or the T-coupler. In operation, if a user selects the telephone receiver position on the selector switch, the user utilizes the telephone in a normal manner. However, if the user selects the T-coupler position on the selector switch, the user must utilize the T-coupler. To utilize the T-coupler, the user clips the T-coupler over the user""s hearing aid. The proximity of the T-coupler to the hearing aid provides an inductive coupling between the two devices. Thus, voice signals received by the telephone base unit are transmitted to the user""s hearing aid input T-coil via an electromagnetic field. The hearing aid then provides audio signals to the user""s ear.
Other manufacturers have equipped telephones with T-coil communication hardware which communicates with a user""s hearing aid directly or via an external induction loop. To benefit from the T-coil equipped telephone, a hearing aid user must replace each of the user""s own telephones with a T-coil equipped telephone. Replacing existing telephones with a T-coil equipped telephone may be problematic in certain telephone networks, especially multiple-telephone business networks, which require a specific telephone model for compatibility. In such networks, the T-coil equipped telephones may not be compatible with the network and, therefore, may not operate properly with the network.
While the above references disclose various types of telephone audio enhancement devices, none of the prior art discloses a portable device for coupling a hearing aid to a telephone, wherein the portable device provides a wireless coupling device for transmitting signals to a user""s hearing aid while simultaneously enabling a user to hear the audio signal from the telephone handset.
Additionally, none of the prior art discloses a portable device for coupling a telephone to a hearing aid while providing the following features: binaural hearing; amplification; multiple induction coil options (neck loop, chair-back loop, powered floor pad loop, powered desk pad loop, FM transmitter coupling, and infrared coupling); and sound volume control.
The present invention provides an alternate means to generate an electromagnetic field that can be picked up and amplified by standard T-coils. In addition, the electromagnetic field can be picked up by the hearing aids of both ears when using hearing aids in both ears. This takes advantage of the well-known ability of the brain to discriminate speech that is input through both ears simultaneously (binaural) with greater accuracy than with monaural input. When using the invention with only a single hearing aid, the user still has the ability of using the normal telephone handset with the ear not having the hearing aid. This also provides the benefits of binaural hearing.
The present invention also provides feedback of the user""s own voice into the hearing aid. Those with moderate to severe hearing loss will be able to more accurately monitor the loudness of their own voice. This makes the telephone more agreeable to the listener on the other end of the line.
Additionally, the present invention provides a means to regulate the strength of the transmitted signal, thereby adjusting the sound volume in the ear. This alleviates the need for the user to adjust the hearing aid volume when using the telephone and then having to read just the hearing aid volume back to its normal listening volume when the telephone conversation has ended. The telephone will always be set at the appropriate loudness level. When the present invention is attached to the telephone, the present invention is totally transparent to normal telephone use. It does not affect the signal to the handset and does not impact the normal hearing telephone user.
Further, the present invention provides a portable device for coupling a standard telephone with a user""s hearing aid, wherein the device is compatible with telephones having a telephone handset detachably connected to a telephone base unit via a handset cord.
Still further, circuitry in the present invention provides a means to automatically shut off power to the device after a period of inactivity, thereby extending battery life. Finally, the circuitry also has built in isolation features to meet the electrical isolation requirements of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) for devices connected to telephone equipment.
The present invention relates to a portable device for coupling a hearing aid to a telephone, comprising signal processing circuitry interfaced between a telephone base unit and a telephone handset and an hearing aid communication device connected to the signal processing circuitry. The device is capable of simultaneously providing an output to the hearing aid communication device while providing an audio output to the telephone handset.
An object of the present invention is to provide a portable device for coupling a hearing aid to a telephone, wherein the device may be inductively coupled with a user""s hearing aid, providing an electromagnetic signal to the user""s hearing aid, while simultaneously providing an audible signal to the user via the telephone handset.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a device for coupling a hearing aid to a telephone, wherein the device includes an amplifier for amplifying the inductive signal provided by the device to the user""s hearing aid.
A further object of the invention is to provide a portable device for coupling a telephone to a hearing aid and simultaneously providing an inductive signal and an audible signal to a user, wherein the inductive signal is provided by a neck loop.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a portable device for coupling a telephone to a hearing aid and simultaneously providing an inductive signal and an audible signal to a user, wherein the inductive signal is provided by an external amplifier and floor-mounted inductive loop or a desk-mounted inductive loop.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a portable device which uses radio wave signals or light wave signals to communicate with a user while simultaneously providing an audio signal via the the telephone handset.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a portable device for simultaneously inductively coupling a telephone to two hearing aids.
A still additional object of the present invention is to provides a portable device for coupling a standard telephone with a user""s hearing aid, wherein the device is compatible with all telephones having a telephone handset detachably connected to a telephone base unit via a handset cord.
Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a portable device for coupling a hearing aid to a telephone, wherein the device provides full isolation between the device and the telephone, the device provides an automatic, timed shutoff feature, and wherein the volume of the signal provided to the hearing aid may be adjusted by a control on the device.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which set forth certain embodiments of the invention.